Category: chapterbooks

Adventure, authors, chapterbooks, interviews, New releases

Lovely interview with Sophie Masson on Writer Unboxed

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There’s a lovely interview with Four All At Sea author Sophie Masson on the international writing site, Writer Unboxed. Here’s a short extract:

Q1: What’s the premise of your new book?

SM: It’s a new adventure for four old friends who just happen to be machines: two cars (Maxie and Lady) a motorbike (Flash) and a tractor (Fergie). In the first book, Four on the Run, our friends took to the road after thinking they were going to be sold for scrap. They had many adventures, which ended in them being offered a part in a film. This book takes the story further: the four friends are on a luxury cruise, bound for the film set, when a big storm washes their container overboard and they land on a desert island. But it’s not quite deserted: there’s someone else there, someone not very friendly…Much fun and mayhem ensue as they try to think up a way to escape.

Q2: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

SM: It’s sheer joyful fun for young readers and families, and it has fabulous illustrations by the wonderful Cheryl Orsini.

You can read the whole fantastic interview here.

Announcements, authors, chapterbooks, Illustrators, New releases

Publication day for Four All At Sea

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It’s publication day for Four All At Sea, the exciting, funny sequel to last year’s popular Four on the Run! We’re delighted to be publishing the next adventures of the four lovable friends who just happen to be machines:-) Congratulations to writer Sophie Masson and illustrator Cheryl Orsini on another fabulous book for young readers!

Announcements, authors, chapterbooks, Cover reveals, forthcoming books, Illustrators

Cover reveal for Lucy Newton, Cat Trouble!

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We are delighted to reveal the gorgeous cover of Lucy Newton, Cat Trouble, written and illustrated by Phoebe McArthur, which we are publishing in November. It’s the fabulous sequel to Lucy Newton, Little Witch, which we published in 2018 and which was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards.

Here’s a bit about the story:

Lucy is spending the holidays with her grandparents at an old house near a loch.

Thomas the cat disappears on the train trip there and Lucy is frantic.

Taking advice from her spell book and a talking library, Lucy casts a spell to find him.

But when she does there’s something different about him…

Can Lucy Newton solve the mystery in her second magical adventure?

Wait and see!

Announcements, Books, chapterbooks, forthcoming books, videos

Fun little trailer for Four All At Sea

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Delighted to announce that there’s now a fun little trailer on our You Tube channel for our upcoming chapter book title, Four All At Sea, by Sophie Masson and Cheryl Orsini, which we are publishing next month. Four All At Sea is the fabulous sequel to Sophie and Cheryl’s popular chapterbook, Four on the Run, which was published last year.

Enjoy!

Announcements, authors, chapterbooks, Cover reveals, forthcoming books, Illustrators

Cover reveal for Four All at Sea!

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We are delighted to reveal the gorgeous cover of Four All at Sea, our September title and upcoming new chapter book, written by Sophie Masson and illustrated by Cheryl Orsini. It’s also the sequel to Sophie and Cheryl’s popular title, Four on the Run, which we published in September last year. In this cracking new adventure, the four loveable friends(who just happen to be machines!) find themselves marooned on a deserted island: at least, they thought it was deserted! But eek, what is that scary noise they can hear??

authors, chapterbooks, Illustrators, Reviews

Another lovely review of Four on the Run

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There’s another lovely review of Four on the Run, this time on Kids’ Book Review. Here is a short extract:

Cheryl Orsini’s delicate pen illustrations depict the cars in their prime and through their challenges. The dialogue between the cars is humorous and entertaining. This is a perfect chapter book for younger readers.  

You can read the whole review here.

Illustration by Cheryl Orsini from Four on the Run

Books, chapterbooks, collaborations, videos

The magical journey of Lucy Newton, Little Witch

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It’s Children’s Book Week in Australia this week, and to celebrate, we at Christmas Press are featuring a brand-new video in the fabulous ‘Journey of a Book‘ series which you can find on the United Publishers of Armidale website. This Journey of A Book is centred around the gorgeous chapter book for young readers, Lucy Newton, Little Witch, written and illustrated by Phoebe McArthur, the pseudonym of mother-daughter duo Fiona McDonald and Beattie Alvarez. The book, published by Christmas Press in 2018, was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Australia Awards.

authors, chapterbooks, Illustrators, Reviews

Lovely review for Four on the Run at ReadPlus

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There’s a lovely review of Four on the Run on ReadPlus, review is by Kathyrn Beilby. Here’s a short extract:

This is a perfect read aloud for Junior Primary students as it is short and will appeal to children who could easily imagine that vehicles may be able to talk. Those younger readers who are progressing to independently reading novels will find the larger text and repetition of key words an asset to reading fluently. The clever illustrations by Cheryl Orsini provide extra interest and support to the reader.

You can read the whole review here.